Human rights activist facing deportaton as military continues intimidating West Bank villagers

Since Friday’s peaceful demonstration against Israel’s illegal barrier being constructed in Bil’in, soldiers have stepped up intimidation tactics against the 1,200 villagers there, driving jeeps through town at high speeds, prowling neighborhoods at night taking pictures of homes at random and parking in front of homes for lengthy stays without explanation.

As this goes on, a human rights activist who has maintained a constant presence in Bil’in since his arrival is now in Ben Gurion airport with the Department of the Interior and facing likely deportation.

Devon Mohr of Santa Rosa, California, has kept an around- the-clock presence in the village of Bil’in, offering accompaniment to Palestinians as they deal with Israeli soldiers and documenting human rights abuses. He was arrested Friday during one of the peaceful demonstrations that Bil’in villagers stage weekly.

The move to deport Devon is part of a larger, illegal strategy aimed at limiting the number of witnesses of human rights abuses. The villagers in Bil’in invite international visitors to witness what is happening there. The Israeli army is working to keep them out. It is obviously the latter that has something to hide
from the world.